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Article published Jan 8, 2004
Presidential hopeful lashes out at Bush
ROBERT W. DALTON
Staff Writer
Democratic presidential
hopeful John Edwards came to Spartanburg Technical College Wednesday afternoon
to talk about jobs.He spent most of his time talking about one job in
particular: the one held by George W. Bush.The North Carolina senator jabbed
President Bush on several fronts, including the economy and job losses, trade
agreements, his plan to eliminate overtime pay for some workers, and the
awarding of contracts to rebuild Iraq."George W. Bush says he wants to debate
values with us," Edwards told a crowd of about 100 -- including his uncle and
aunt, Harold and Rita Addis of Seneca -- at STC's Health Sciences building."He
wants to cut 500,000 after-school spots for kids that need them, but he's
awarding billions in no-bid contracts to his friends at Halliburton. I say if he
wants to debate values, we'll take the debate to him."Edwards said he would
create job growth, in part, by giving "seed money" to companies in areas hit
hard by high unemployment. He also said he would eliminate tax breaks for
companies that took jobs overseas.He said he would strengthen U.S. trade
policies by maintaining textile quotas until China holds up its agreements and
stops manipulating its currency."We've had plenty of free trade," Edwards said.
"How about a little fair trade for a change."Edwards also said he opposes
expanding the North American Free Trade Agreement to Central America."I think it
would be a tremendous mistake to expand NAFTA to all of the hemisphere. It would
just accelerate job losses," he said.Edwards called a Labor Department mailing
that suggests ways for companies to avoid paying overtime to hourly employees
"an outrage.""Your president is sending a memo to companies telling them how to
beat you out of overtime pay," Edwards said. "He's stomping all over working
people."Steve Jobe, a teacher at Dorman High School, said Edwards was an
attractive candidate."Whether his message resonates remains to be seen," Jobe
said. "He reminds me a lot of what (Bill) Clinton was in '92."Jobe believes
Edwards would be the Democrats' best challenger for Bush. But he doesn't think
even Edwards could unseat the president."He's more likely (to mount a challenge)
than (John) Kerry or (Howard) Dean. But I don't think anyone is going to beat
Bush," Jobe said.Greenville attorney Carl Muller was more optimistic."Yes, he
can win," Muller said. "He's Bush's worst nightmare. He's what Bush wishes he
could be."Muller said he and his 21-year-old daughter, Allidah, were heading to
New Hampshire today to spread the word about Edwards."He's got a great message,"
Muller said. "He's what people in America have been longing for. A lot have been
left behind, waiting for someone to reach for them and bring them along."To earn
the right to face Bush, Edwards must first win the Democratic nomination. He
faces nine other Democrats in South Carolina's first-in-the-South primary on
Feb. 3.Edwards, who was born in South Carolina, said he would fight hard to win
the state in the general election. South Carolina voters have not gone for a
Democrat since Jimmy Carter in 1976."I will not concede this state to George W.
Bush," Edwards said. "This is my back yard."Robert W. Dalton can be reached at
562-7223 or bob.dalton@shj.com.